Fence-post.



No. 799,418. PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

G. A. SPENCER.

FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1905.

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PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

0. A. SPENCER.

FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1905.

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PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905'.

C. A. SPENCER.

FENCE POST.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 31, 1905.

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1 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed May 31, 1905. Serial No. 262,981.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Shields Station, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFence-Posts, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thespecification, in which-- Figure l is aview in elevation of portions ofpanels of a fence built with my improved post. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing a single post provided with slantingly arranged fence boards andwires. Fig. 3 is a view of one of the posts at right angles to Fig. 2,partially in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail View of one of thesecuring-clamp plates used with a board fence. Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail view of a portion of the post, showing the manner of attachingwire strands. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the securing-clipsfor a wire fence. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical elevation, partly insection, illustrating the method of constructing the post. Fig. 8 is avertical sectional view on the line VIII VIII of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is aview in elevation, partly broken away, showing a modified construction.Fig. 1G is a horizontal cross-section on the line X X of Fig. 7. Fig. 11is a similar view showing the manner of recessing the post for boards bymeans of a pattern-board. Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showingthe fence boards merely laid against and secured upon the flat faces ofthe posts. Fig. 13 is an edge view of one of said posts. Fig. 14 is anenlarged sectional detail view showing the manner of finishing in thefield the upper portion of a factory-made post. Fig. 15 is a plan viewof Fig. 14, showing the surrounding mold for such. top-finishingoperation.

My invention refers to improvements in fence-posts and to the method ofmanufacturing the same.

The post is designed to be made of concrete or cement, either in afactory for transportation to the point of use or in the field along theproposed line of fence, and the invention refers to the method ofmolding the concrete with internal strengthening metallic membersextending longitudinally of its length with holding devices for thefence structure, as

bolts, incorporated with the post in the process of manufacture, thepost also being provided, if desired, with rabbeted recesses forreceiving the fence-boards flush with its outer surface; also to variousother features and details, as shall be more fully hereinafter setforth.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the post, which, as shown, isset in the ground and is provided with the longitudinal members 3 ofboards or of any suitable material, as wire, in each case the post beingprovided with holding clamps or clips especially adapted for engagingthe boards or wires, respectively.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated the manner of molding the post,partially in the posthole itself, but for the main part within asurrounding mold composed of suitable sides 4, of plank or metal platesset in box form, as indicated in Figs. 10 and 11, partially extendingdownwardly into the post-hole and secured together by any suitableclamping devices adapted to firmly hold the mold in box form during theoperation until removed from the finished post. 5 representslongitudinal strengthening members of any suitable number, as four, andconsisting of twisted bars or strands of any convenient form, which arefirst inserted downwardly within the cavity, occupying the positionsindicated. These strengthening members are maintained in suitablerelation to each other and preferably adjacent to the four corners ofthe mold by any suitable convenient temporary holdingguides, which areadapted to be gradually removed as the mold is filled. The front boardof the mold is provided at suitable points with openings 6, adapted toreceive the threaded ends of bolts 7, the heads of which abut againstthe back boards of the mold or are closely adjacent thereto, and in aplain front post no further provision is made for shaping it. Into themold as thus formed I pour concrete or cement of any suitableconsistency or mixture until the mold is filled to the top, which isthen leveled off, as indicated, and the integral concrete post, with itsstrengthening members and bolts embedded therein, is then allowed tostand in the post-hole until firmly set, after which the sides of themold 4 are removed, leaving the finished post in position. For thepurpose of facilitating the removal of the mold portions the sides 4textend only partially into the post-hole-say from ten to twelve inchesbelow the surface of the groundthe post-hole itself receiving the baseportion of the post, which is thus free to fill out the post-holecavity, as indicated at the lower portions of Figs. 7 and 8, thusproviding an enlarged base 8 for the post, which fog becomes firmlyembedded in the hole. After removing the mold the earth is then tightlytamped around the post in the manner usual with wooden posts and it willthen remain rigidly in place. In making the posts in the shop I mold thepost horizontally within suitable molds with intervening blocks 1) setat suitable distances between the front edges of the side boards 4, theblocks 6 being provided with bolt-holes 6, arranged to receive the endofa bolt or bolt-pattern, adapted to mold a corresponding cavity throughthe post. In making the posts in the field they are molded upright, andthe fence-boards themselves are set across the front of the mold, theintervening vertical spaces being filled by strips 8 set upon the frontedges of 'the mold sides and extending out flush with the front of thefence-boards. The front of the mold is thus clamped upon thefence-boards and when mmoved after the molding operation leaves acontinuous smooth surface, the boards being already in position. In caseit is not desired to set the fence-boards in flush with the faces of theposts their front faces are molded flat throughout, and the boards whenattached will of course extend outwardly beyond the posts to the extentof their own thickness. Vith either construction the fence-boards may bearranged horizontally or at any desired angle, as clearly shown.

For the purpose of easily shortening the post I provide one or moreseries of perforating holes or notches, or both, across its lowerportion, as indicated at 11, Fig. 9, thus weakening the cross-section,so that the post may be readily broken off to the desired length. Itwill be understood that in such construction the strengthening-bars 5extend only partially toward the base of the post, as indicated. I haveshown at the lower portion of Fig. 13 the manner of breaking ofi thedesired length of the weakened lower extremity of the post by means of awedge w, adapted to be driven inwardly into the laterally-arrangedperforating openings.

For the purpose of securely clamping the boards 3 in place I provide theclamp shown in Fig. 4, consisting of rectangular piece of sheet metal12, having a central bolt-hole 13 and inwardly-extending punched-outteeth 14, adapted to be driven into the meeting ends of the boards 3,which are also notched out to interfit with the bolts. The teeth 14 areso arranged as to substantially aline with the grain of the wood, andwhen these clamps aredriven in and screwed down tight by the nuts ofbolts 7 the boards 3 will be securely held in place. For the purpose ofsecuring wires 15 to the post, Fig. 5, I employ a somewhat similar clip16, formed of sheet metal, having a central bolt-hole 17 andinwardly-turned oppositely-arranged edges 18, having notches 19,preferably of two different sizes, to engage across the wire and rigidlyhold it against the post. These notches are so arranged with relation tothe bolt-hole cavity that the wire strand will rest against the bolt andin constructing a level fence preferably upon the upper side thereof. Inbuilding a slanting fence up or down hill the wires may be laid over orunderneath the bolt, according to the direction of the pull of the wire,which is thus firmly braced against the bolt and tightly held by theclip.

When it is desired to finish the tops of the posts in various forms tosuit the horizontal or slanting arrangement of the top board, the postwhen made in the factory is left in a shortened unfinished condition, asindicated in Fig. 14, theinternal reinforcing elements 5 extendingupwardly somewhat in the top of the molded post, the unfinished upperend being purposely left in a roughened condition, as indicated, so asto provide a good holdingsurface for the supplemental finishing top.Around the upper end of such post I secure by suitable clamps thesupplemental mold 20, consisting of short sections of plank, thefence-board 3' forming the front edge of the mold, which, with thefenceboard,extends upwardly beyond such roughened top to the desiredheight of'the finished post. Into the upper cavity as thus formed I fillsuch concrete to finish out the post, the top then being leveled off orfinished slantingly, as desired, as indicated by the dotted line 21. By

this means it will be seen that the tops of the posts may be variouslyshaped or formed to suit the arrangement of the upper fence-board or inany other manner desired, while the upper section of the post willbecome hardened around the projecting reinforcing elements 5 and make afirm bond with them and with the roughened upper surface of theoriginallymolded post. When hardened, the mold-boards 20 are removed,leaving the supplemental top integral with the post itself.

When made in the manner described and provided with the strengtheningand holding devices, the post is very solid and adapted to securely holdthe other portions of the fence structure. It ispracticallyindestructible, while the wire or board portions may beremoved and renewed from time to time, if desired. An especial advantageof the post is the facility with which it is built in the field. It isvery cheap, durable, and weatherproof, and well adapted to withstand theshocks to which structures of such nature are subjected.

It will be understood that the post may be changed or varied indifferent details to suit the requirements of use by the skilledmechanic; but all such changes are to be conthe post foraportion of itslength and having laterally-arranged weakening notches or perforationslocated longitudinally beyond said strengthening devices, substantiallyas set forth. I

2. A post of concrete or similar material provided With internallongitudinal strengthening devices, an enlarged base extending outwardlybeyond the faces of the post, securing elements embedded in the post andextending outwardly beyond its surface, with holding devices operabletherewith and arranged to secure the longitudinal elements of the fencestructure to the post, substantially as set forth.

8. A post of concrete or similar material provided withlongitudinally-arranged strengthening devices and laterally-arrangedsecuring-bolts embedded within the post, said bolts extending outwardlybeyond its surface, with securing-clamps adapted to be held upon thebolts by nuts and to retain the longitudinal elements of the fencestructure, substantially as set forth.

4:. A post of concrete or similar material provided withlongitudinally-arranged strengthening devices and laterally-arrangedsecuring-bolts embedded within the post, said bolts extending outwardlybeyond its surface, and having a supplemental finishing top portion,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a concrete post having bolts embedded thereinand projecting beyond the surface; of board-securing clips of sheetmetal having a bolt-hole and inwardlyprojecting points, substantially asset forth.

6. The combination, in a fence-post of concrete or similar material, ofa longitudinal body portion of concrete provided with laterally-arranged recesses for the fence elements, longitudinally arrangedstrengthening devices embedded in the post, laterally arrangedsecuring-bolts embedded in the post and projecting outwardly beyond thesurface of said recessed portions, with securingclamps adapted to beheld upon the bolts by nuts and to retain the longitudinal elements ofthe fence structure, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. SPENCER.

